In 1926, Joseph and Clara Pilates opened the world\u2019s first-ever Pilates studio at 939 Eighth Ave. One hundred years and 40 blocks later, Manhattan will soon become home to the world\u2019s largest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no idea going into it that we were opening the biggest studio,\u201d Reforming Pilates<\/a> owner Genevieve Ross, 34, told The Post. \u201cBut my husband called and said, \u2018This is the most incredible space I\u2019ve ever seen in my life. There is nothing like it.\u2019 He signed [the lease] on the spot. I didn\u2019t even see the space because I had just given birth.\u201d<\/p>\n Reforming Pilates Townhouse is scheduled to open on June 1 in a three-story, nearly 7,000-square-foot space at 109 W. 17th St. in Flatiron. The lease is for 10 years, but other terms of the deal were not disclosed. <\/p>\n Genevieve Ross is bringing the townhouse for local Pilates fanatics on June 1, and she has more locations in the works. Kendric de Leon<\/p>\n Reforming Pilates will open its townhouse at 109 W. 17th St. in the Flatiron District. Kendric de Leon<\/p>\n The massive location will have plenty of space for classes in high-design settings, as this rendering shows. Reforming Pilates<\/p>\n The former carriage house, with its red-brick facade, is 25 feet wide and was built in 1920, according to records. It will be the company\u2019s second New York location; there is already a two-story studio on the Upper East Side.<\/p>\n \u201cThe townhouse has great bones, beautiful lighting and old fireplaces,\u201d Ross said.<\/p>\n Despite likely being the largest studio in the world \u2014 there are several boutique studios around 6,000 square feet: a Lagree studio in Toronto, New York Pilates\u2019 Flatiron location and a yoga and Pilates studio in Austin, Texas \u2014 the new Reforming Pilates Townhouse won\u2019t be overrun with reformers. <\/p>\n The space has two separate equipment rooms, capped at 10 reformers each, plus an infrared-heated mat Pilates room and a place for private classes.<\/p>\n Keeping each space small was important for quality control, \u201cso the instructors can do hands-on modifications and can see everyone,\u201d Ross said.<\/p>\n Reforming Pilates opened its first location in Miami in 2021. It has since expanded to nine studios in Florida and New York, not including this townhouse, with at least three more in the works. Two of them will be in Florida and one will be in Manhattan\u2019s Murray Hill. The growth has been all word-of-mouth, Ross said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have spent, to this day, $0 on ad spend,\u201d Ross said. \u201cWe don\u2019t do Google ads, we don\u2019t do anything like that. It\u2019s all been just opening where our clients wanted us to go.\u201d<\/p>\n The new location will also have plenty of room for mat exercises. Reforming Pilates<\/p>\n Workouts will happen in glam settings. Reforming Pilates<\/p>\n Pilates has exploded in popularity since the early days of the pandemic for many reasons. There is an increase in overall health trends and the practice can be adapted for all levels. There are also several ways to participate \u2014 a mat, a reformer, a tower, a chair. <\/p>\n And based on the millions of photos on Instagram and TikTok touting a #PilatesBody, it works. It also looks cool on social media. Unless specifically banned, you\u2019ll be hard-pressed to find a class today without someone\u2019s phone stuck to the wall filming themselves for content, for better or worse.<\/p>\n Aesthetically, the new Reforming Pilates Townhouse also looks good on camera, with muted hues, neon signs, curved furniture and herringbone floors. The townhouse was designed by the same team that fashioned the also-born-in-Miami Pura Vida restaurant chain, Ross added.<\/p>\n However, the practice is also quite pricey. While the cost varies, on average, reformer classes around the country tend to hover around $35 for a single class, while monthly unlimited packages can reach $300 to $600. (Classes at Reforming Pilates\u2019 Upper East Side location are $50 for a single class, a 10-pack for $330, and $599 for an unlimited, one a day, monthly pass.) <\/p>\n Still, there are plenty of free Pilates mat classes online. Pilates By Izzy<\/a>, for example, has amassed almost 2 million subscribers on YouTube with her mat routines and challenges.<\/p>\n